Hands-on Learning Archives - Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Harry Potter Homeschooling: Magical Lessons for Potter Fans

September 18, 2019 By Chelsea Gonzales

Have you got a Harry Potter fan in your home? Capitalize on the interest with Chelsea’s Harry Potter homeschooling ideas worthy of Hogwarts.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Recently, my husband and I have had the pleasure of introducing the Harry Potter book series to our son. We are both huge Potter fans and have been anxiously awaiting the day our kid could finally join the fandom fun. Fortunately, the seven-year-old is just as crazy about the series as we are, making storytime incredibly fun for the whole family.

Because of my son’s newfound interest in all things Wizarding World, I have been brainstorming ways to tie the magical world of Potter into our schooling. We are pretty laid-back homeschoolers. Some might even go so far as to call us unschoolers. That said, I can’t resist a good project that captures the interest of the whole family, and Harry Potter projects are sure to do just that.

Harry Potter Homeschooling: Magical Lessons for Potter Fans

Harry Potter Homeschooling Ideas

Below are a few of the Harry Potter homeschooling I’ve come up with so far. We plan to dive into these in the coming weeks, and I hope some of you can do the same, making your lessons just a little bit more magical. [Read more…]

National Park Adventures with Kids: 6 Ways to Make the Most of Them

July 11, 2019 By Chelsea Gonzales

U.S. National Parks feature stunning educational landscapes for kids to explore. Try these tips to make the most of your family’s national park adventures.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Easily some of the most amazing resources our beautiful country has to offer are its national parks. From beaches to mountains, U.S. national parks feature dozens of stunning and diverse landscapes to explore.

Unfortunately, far too many people are entirely unaware of the magic and beauty hiding in these natural wonderlands. So, they never even think to go check out our national parks. Even those people who do have some idea what these spaces have to offer sometimes don’t visit out as often as they should.

This failure to make the most of America’s national parks is a disservice to kids (and adults!) who could be learning a multitude of amazing lessons from visiting these places.

6 Ways to Make the Most of National Park Adventures with Kids

From geology to history, national parks present a wide assortment of lesson topics. This variety makes them ideal places for homeschoolers of all ages to learn, explore, and discover.

For this reason, I highly recommend planning at least a few trips to national parks this summer and into the coming school year. As a regular park visitor, I’d like to offer my tips for ensuring your adventures go over without a hitch. [Read more…]

How To Teach History Without a Textbook: 12 Ideas To Get You Started!

June 28, 2019 By Adrienne Bolton

If you want to have a little more fun with your history lessons, try these 12 engaging ideas to teach history without a textbook.

Written by Adrienne Bolton of The Mommy Mess.

Without a doubt, the homeschooling question I hear most often – even more than the socialization one – is, “What curriculum do you use?”

Why? I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like an especially exciting topic. Maybe it’s a conversation starter like the PetSmart cashier I overheard recently. He was asking every customer, “What kind of {fill in the blank with the appropriate species based on the products the customer was purchasing} do you have?”

And, of course, it worked because people love to talk about their babies.

Maybe it’s just the first thing people think of to ask when they’re wondering what in the heck you’ve gotten yourself into.

How do you do this thing called homeschooling?

For nearly 12 years, my answer has always been the same, “We use a hodgepodge of stuff depending on the subject.”

How to Teach History Without a Textbook

Over the years, we’ve used a variety of resources to cover each subject, but history is by far my favorite when it comes to tossing the textbook! [Read more…]

How to Make Your Kids Want to Write (or at Least Grumble a Little Less)

May 14, 2019 By Kris Bales

If motivating your children to write seems like an impossible dream, try these tips to tone down the writing-related grumbling in your homeschool.

“My kid hates to write!” How many times have you said those words or heard another homeschooling parent say them? Reluctant writers are the entire reason we started sharing monthly printable writing prompts.

But, even with writing prompts, how do you get a reluctant writer to like writing…or, at least, not grumble about it quite so much?

Try these tips to make writing more agreeable to the pencil-twirlers and corner-doodlers in your house. [Read more…]

8 Creative, Simple Ways to Homeschool with LEGO

March 19, 2019 By Chelsea Gonzales

Are you homeschooling LEGO fans? Get them excited about a LEGO homeschool with these creative ways to use LEGO bricks in your homeschool lessons.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

LEGO bricks are seriously awesome toys. They encourage creative thinking and problem solving, and they keep my 7-year-old entertained for hours on end. Sure, they hurt like crazy when you step on them, but late-night LEGO landmines aside, they’re well worth keeping around.

Do your kids love LEGO too? If so, you’ll love these ideas for incorporating these nifty little toys into your homeschool. After all, the kids are more willing to sit still for a bit when lessons involve one of their favorite playthings. Capitalize on that fact!

8 Creative, Simple Ways to Homeschool with LEGO

Try these eight creative, simple ways to homeschool with LEGO and make school a little more colorful and engaging for everyone. [Read more…]